Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards has suffered an injury while on international duty, London World’s Rahman Osman reports.

The Lowdown: Four Palace appearances

Richards made the move to Selhurst Park over the summer from Bayern Munich in a deal worth £10.8m.

Since then, the versatile defender, hailed as an 'athletic freak' by former USA national team scout Thomas Rongen, has made four appearances under Patrick Vieira.

His only start came in an EFL Cup win over Oxford United, with the player an unused substitute in the club’s two recent Premier League fixtures.

The Latest: International injury

Journalist Osman shared a story on London World regarding Richards on Thursday.

He stated that Richards was due to feature for the USA against Japan and Saudi Arabia but has now returned to London with ‘severe pain in his leg’.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Richards may have been hoping to impress Vieira while on international duty, looking to force his way into Palace’s starting XI.

However, it looks as if he could be set for a stint on the sidelines, which isn’t ideal for Palace or Richards himself ahead of a busy few weeks.

The Eagles have nine fixtures in all competitions prior to the break for the World Cup, so hopefully, Richards isn’t out for too long and can feature prior to Qatar, where he’ll be hoping to start for the USA.